Percy Jackson and the Race Against Time
by craigbatter2
Summary: Percy Jackson goes from a normal demigod life (or however normal it can get)to getting plucked out and subsituted into the past, along with some of the greatest Greek wars of all time...but is all this a test? Did the gods do this, or was there some other unknown force at work here? Story much better. Read it! Review please so I can keep writing! Thanks.
1. Chapter 1

It all started with the squirrel taking my food.

I was listening to music in my cabin; doing my homework. I finally decided to get my high school education after defeating Kronos and Gaea and several other not-so-normal people, and Chiron actually agreed to teach me everything that I needed to know so I would be able to get through a normal high school if I ever went.

Biology homework. I looked at the book in disgust as I took out my headphones, observing the evil thing that was on my lap. I wish Annabeth were here…then again, I wouldn't get anything done if my girlfriend was with me.

Really? Photosynthesis and Cell Respiration?

I bet that this biology book doesn't have anything about hellhounds and the reproduction cycle of Cyclopses…how was this going to be helpful in real life? It's not like I wouldn't be able to get my driver's license if I didn't know what kind of energy that plants produced when energy from the sun was absorbed.

That's when I smelled the nuts.

Granted, I had peanuts that I was eating in my cabin while I was studying to give me a little extra boost of energy; and after Frank had turned into an elephant, I've gained an uncanny craving for them.

But I smelled something else; fur along with the peanuts. I slowly turned around, following my nose's scent.

The small squirrel was in my cabin, and even worse, in MY BAG. It was taking peanuts out and storing them in its cheeks; I thought he was going to stop after about 5, but it didn't seem like he was going to stop. He was going to put all my peanuts in his mouth.

I slowly got up, and the squirrel twitched its tail nervously, pausing in mid-motion to see what I was going to do and what my intentions where. I raised my hands like I had a gun pointed at me; slowly and deliberately.

"Trust me, little Alvin The Chipmunk. You aren't bringing any more friends in here."

The squirrel cocked its head as if it was listening to me and took it as an insult. It bore its yellow, thin teeth at me and growled an inhuman noise.

I growled at it like a dog and I could literally see its heart spike an extra 10 miles per hour. It flinched when I bucked at it, but it didn't move.

The squirrel bared its teeth again, more of a smile than a warning. As if it was saying, "Special child of the Prophecy, and can't even get a squirrel out his own cabin."

I slowly took Riptide out, which seemed to be a ridiculous gesture to defend myself against a rodent-like creature.

3….2….1…NOW!

I dashed at the squirrel, trying to grab its tail quickly, but it moved too fast for me…until I realized that it had my peanuts in its mouth. In desperation, I swung at the bag, but the squirrel was too alert and jumped off the bed.

I just got robbed by a squirrel.

Alvin stood on its hind legs, sniffing the air. I dashed again, and it ran through the pet door (you never know when Frank will come barking at your door…literally) with a quickness unparalleled. I cursed under my breath and kicked down the door, running after it.

The blue sky looked nice and calm with the shining sun and the nice white clouds…77 degreest too. An optimal day for any kind of activity…hanging out, surfing, sports, racing, sparring, or just having fun in general.

A cool spring breeze blew over me, refreshing me and relaxing me…until I actually looked ahead of me. Just my luck. They were playing universe Capture the Flag.

Outside my cabin, people were running around, yelling and swinging at each other in bursts of testosterone so they could find the elusive flag.

I blinked and ducked right before a sword took my head off. I stood upright and looked at my attacker frustratedly. "Watch where you're going!"

She tossed her natural blonde hair that was slightly matted down with sweat and smiled brilliantly. She had gray armor that made her stand out…but she probably did that because she _wanted _to get singled out and targeted. With her, that's nothing new.

"Sorry, Seaweed Brain. You need to watch out for people who don't watch where they're going."

I gritted my teeth as she smiled again. I couldn't help it.

"Where is it?"

Annabeth frowned. "Where is what?"

I looked around with Riptide in my hand, pushing running campers out my line of vision. "The squirrel that took my nuts."

"Excuse me?"

"-HEY!"

Before I could correct what I said so it didn't sound wrong, Alvin jumped on my shoulder and went down my shirt. It wriggled around, and I could feel its claws kneading my bare skin. I jumped and twisted, yelling in frustation and confusion and trying to grab it inside my shirt. It escaped and ran forward, weaving its small body through the campers and still holding my peanuts.

I snarled and took off after it, pushing campers out my way. Annabeth was right behind me, running after me also.

"STOP THAT SQUIRREL!" I yelled as I was running. By the time the campers heard it, registered it, complied, and took action, the squirrel was long past them. So what I had now was campers who weren't fighting, but looking around for a squirrel that wasn't even there.

I kept running forward, and collided with a certain satyr who was planting a new cherry blossom tree near the camp armory.

We went flying 10 feet forward and tumbled another 8 feet. Grover jumped up and looked at me in curiosity, as if someone tackling him didn't anger him at all. "What's up, Perce?"

"OUT MY WAY! SQUIRREL!" I cried intelligently. Grover looked at Annabeth curiously and she just shook her head in an amused way. "Don't worry about it, apparently some squirrel took his nuts."

"Excuse me?"

"His pea-" Annabeth didn't get to correct her statement so it didn't sound wrong when I grabbed her wrist and pulled her so she was running beside me after the squirrel that was running.

My eyes widened in surprise and when I saw how far the squirrel traveled. "Don't let it get past-"

Fortunately, Annabeth understood as the two of us poured on the speed and dove in pure desperation after the animal, but it was too late.

The squirrel ran outside of camp boundaries and took off with my bag of peanuts in the forest.

I sighed in frustration. Jason wouldn't believe this.

Annabeth snickered, trying to hold in a laugh. "Are you okay? You need a hug?"

I made a face at her. "I was literally trying to study biology and this beast straight from the pits of Tartarus took my peanuts and ran!"

"You swung a sword at a squirrel?"

I looked down at Riptide in my right hand, evidently forgetting the deadly weapon that I was holding. "No…."

Annabeth cocked her head to one side, looking like a squirrel as she analyzed me.

"…not really…"

Annabeth shifted her position so she had her hands on her hips, waiting.

"…once."

"I can't believe you! You could've killed that poor creature!"

"You act like you're an animal rights person all of a sudden."

Annabeth smiled and looked at me. "You're cute when you realize you're in a predicament that you can't get out of and you try to defend yourself in a futile way."

I just scoffed in mock arrogance. "That squirrel is lucky that it didn't confront me."

I would've been embarrassed to death if I hadn't noticed Annabeth take a gold coin out her pocket. "OH NO YOU DON'T!"

Annabeth laughed as she ran away towards our beach. Not again.

She was not going to embarrass me to any of my friends if I had anything to say about it. I took off, actually catching up to her until I was only an arm's length away from her. I used my amazing training by Mr. D to naturally trip and fall and knock into Annabeth. Both of us fell and tumbled down the hill, eventually rolling on the sand and laughing.

We stopped and I looked into her eyes. She raised an eyebrow as if saying, _Kiss me, dummy. _

I kissed her slowly and softly, and she kissed back harder and more passionately, effectively having a make-out session.

And that's where I got plucked out of time.


	2. Chapter 2

"It is time for you to wake up, child."

The deep voice resonated over me, instilling energy in me as if I just drank 10 cups of coffee while I was asleep. I jolted awake and found myself tied to something…a chair. I looked around and I was in an all-white room, all white that it seemed like it was glowing. I struggled against the bonds, but they were glowing; meaning they're one of two things. Either they're new glow-in-the-dark ropes, or they're magical.

I looked ahead and saw a cruelly handsome man with long hair that seemed to run down to his shoulders. The dude was sitting in a one person couch decorated with space…like stars and galaxies and planets. They didn't seem like the normal fabric decorations of them; the stars seemed to be moving in the couch…I could've sworn that I saw one star go supernova in his couch.

He was tall, maybe about 7 feet tall, and radiated so much power that it made me shift my position uncomfortably. It could've been that he had a suit on that was decorated with a clock; like a huge clock that ran through his suit and seemed to be ticking. He wore sunglasses that were black, but had clocks on each one of the lenses that were ticking in rhythm with his clock on his suit. In his hand, he was holding a small pocket watch that was ticking in rhythm to both his suit and his glasses.

The effect was so disorienting that when he talked, I had to look away and blink for a while because I was getting hypnotized by the constant moving of the clocks. Simple. Continous. Unstoppable. In a way, he was more intimidating than any other monster or deity that I've ever faced in my life; the fact that he acted like he had all the time in the world. I would never be able to run from time itself. Occasionally, his head would flicker from a man to a bull to a lion, then flick back to the man.

I closed my eyes as I was trying to think who this guy was.

I opened one eye and saw the guy still staring at me, observing me as if he were observing me in a pet store to see if I would bite him or not. I blinked and looked away from the clock that was reminding me of my own mortality. "Are you single?"

The guy didn't even blink. In fact, he seemed amused by the question as if he knew I was going to ask it. "Yes, child, I've been involved with my consort for a long…time."

He said _time _wistfully, as if he respected and was personal friends with Time itself.

Then it hit me.

"Wasn't your consort like a snake or something?"

The man frowned. I guess he didn't think I was going to ask that question, or I had insulted him. He sighed, as if he always dealt with dumb demigods that he captured and observed during his free time. "She circled the egg of the world, and in time, broke the egg for the universe that you know of to spring forth. It took some time."

"You're Chronos…you're basically time itself!"

Chronos stood up, and I revoked my statement about 7 feet tall. He was more like 9'5 when he stood up. "Not to be confused with my infernal nephew, Kronos."

I shuddered at the thought of the Titan that inhabited Luke and led him to do terrible things. Chronos, as if reading my mind, nodded solemnly. His deep voice washed over me once again. "Yes, Kronos was a jealous boy. Killed my brother so he could be ruler of this known universe. Without Ananke, my consort, none of this would have happened. Chaos would've reigned. Everywhere."

"Didn't your brother throw his outcast children into hell and keep them there for all eternity?"

"Besides the point. Kronos was insane, jealous, immature, and ignorant. He is lucky that I don't wipe him from the face of time itself!"

I was just about to agree when my mind flashed to Luke. Did I really want Kronos to be wiped from the face of history? Of time itself? To have no trace of his effects?

Luke was messed up. He was led by Kronos, but he made his choices out of his irrational anger at the gods. If Kronos had not done what he did, Luke might still be at Camp Half-Blood, and he and Annabeth would still be friends. I'm surprised Aphrodite didn't do that to make our love life more interesting.

Instantly I regretted thinking that way because those thoughts were selfish and twisted and that if I was in a real dimension, Aphrodite would've taken up that challenge.

But then again, it shouldn't just be Kronos. What about the wars, the fighting, the conflicts, hunger, and undeserving death? If someone can look ahead of time, wouldn't they use it to help people? Unless they were evil…then I wouldn't feel so good about having an evil Father Time.

I looked curiously at Chronos. "If you're Father Time, and can control/look ahead in the future, why don't you stop the wars and the bad things happening as opposed to just watching me like a lazy couch potato who sits in his couch all day and watches things unfold over time?"

Chronos scowled and I believed that I had insulted him in a way. "I thought you were going to be more entertaining, demigod. Then again, I already know you were going to impertinent, so in a way, I am allowing you to be impertinent."

"I guess, if that floats your boat. If you already knew I was going to ask that, then why didn't you actually take my suggestion before I said it so I wouldn't have to say it and be impertinent?"

Chronos gritted his deity-like teeth. "Because I knew that I had to teach you a lesson. And that this is necessary for the good of history for this to happen. Remember Leonidas. Achilles is not who you think he is. And watch out for the bed."

"_EXCUSE ME?" _

Chronos kicked me in the chest and I fell down…but didn't hit the ground. Instead, I fell straight through a portal in the ground and I fell until I woke up.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke to the sound of a loud trumpet.

"UP AND AT IT, SOLDIERS! LET US GO! GET YOUR SLOTH-TAILED BEHINDS UP AND AT IT!"

I stood up and fell to the ground from several things. While on the ground, I noticed several things at once using my eyes and my uncanny senses.

First of all, we were outside. I had awoken in some tent just now…we were in the forest somewhere. I could sense the sea nearby, so that's probably where we were traveling to if we were in tents.

Second of all, I was in full ancient Greek armor, except for the ridiculous headgear that people see portrayed in the movies. It weighed me down almost 20 pounds, and I found it hard to move in an agile way.

Third, there was someone in my tent. Slowly, I turned around and saw a young man of about 20 sleeping in my tent. He was smiling as if he was having the best dream of his life, even though he was dressed in the same heavy, unpractical armor that I was wearing.

Fourth, we were one of several tents that were spread out in the forest. There must've been close to 100 tents throughout the perimeter of about a mile, and if every tent held two people, that would make….at least 200 people in this group together. Hey, math is not my subject.

I heard the trumpet sound blast again. I reached down to wake my sleeping companion, but a strong hand gripped my shoulder.

A voice came with the hand, a deep and husky voice. "No, soldier. This lazy weakling would rather sleep than serve his country and his army. Let him sleep and die. The punishment for laziness is death."

I turned around to see another young man that was buff and had dark hair. He looked like he was 24 years old, and he was strapped with much less armor than everybody else, but was wearing a purple cape; the color of royalty. I had been to the Roman camp enough times to notice that he must've been the person in charge. I wonder if he knew Reyna and if the two of them exchanged notes of how to be intimidating commanders. It struck me that he probably shouldn't be speaking English…more like Greek or Persian or something like that.

Great. Not even 5 minutes around here and I'm already confronted by the leader of this little army.

The man raised his spear, to get ready to stab the sleeping soldier. He stabbed down with perfect form, sleek and quick, but I caught his arm and made my hand rigid and firm. "Give him a break, man. He's been asleep for a while now. Apparently, he's been asleep for a while and from the looks of it, all of you get up before dawn all the time. One day isn't going to hurt him."

Sure enough, it was still dark outside and people were already up and about, running and doing sit ups on tree branches to keep fit.

The guy stared at me for a good minute and finally broke my grip in a simple motion by kicking me in the chest and sending me flying 5 feet onto the ground. He was heavier than he should've been, as if I just got knocked down by a professional football linebacker running at full speed towards me.

By this time, a crowd had already gathered, trying to see what kind of fool would challenge their leader to any kind of combat.

I back-flipped up and thankfully, felt my pen on my waist-strap. I took it out and clicked it, revealing Riptide.

The crowd muttered amongst each other and the tension in the air increased a good 40 percent. The leader guy stepped back so he was 10 feet away, a good battle distance if you have a long distance weapon like a spear.

He smiled at me, and spoke in his husky voice again. Another thing that I noticed, was that he _wasn't _speaking English. His mouth and his words didn't sync up, like those movies that are translated from Chinese to English or something. He was speaking Greek and I was hard-wired to understand it like English.

"You do not want to challenge me, soldier. There is a reason why you're only a soldier in the army. Do not force my hand and make you look like a fool in front of your comrades."

I realized that he couldn't understand _what _ I was saying when I caught his arm…the only thing that he knew was that I had challenged his authority. So, I changed my voice tone to match his. "The only person who's going to be made a fool of would be you. If you challenge me, of course."

I was going off the basis that there was a beach nearby and if I could get there, I would have an extreme advantage…I might have an advantage. This guy seemed much more deadly that he let on.

The guy smiled strangely, as if he loved people who challenged him to the death. "Then let's dance, shall we?"

He stabbed experimentally. I knocked his spear away from me with Riptide. He stabbed again, this time with more force because he was trying to disarm me of Riptide. I parried and cut his staff in two in the same motion.

The crowd _oooohhhedddd. _I guess that even here, people can always be unnecessary and instigators.

I got into a ready stance as he threw his staff away and ran towards me. I grinned as I raised Riptide to try to slash his shin, but when I touched his shin, the sword bounced off like his leg was made of armor.

The River Styx.

I panicked too late as he barreled into me at full speed, turning over and over on the ground until he was on top of me. He punched me in the face and threw me away from him. I wiped the blood from my chin and faced the warrior.

He ran towards me again and this time, I turned and ran as fast as I could away from him.

"Come back! Stay and fight, like a true Greek man!"

"Dude, I'm 17 years old. Calm down. And this isn't Greece!"

I ran as fast as I could through the forest, following my homing instinct. After about a minute of running off pure adrenaline, I finally arrived at the beach, with a large sea that immediately calmed my senses and made me twice as strong. I ran towards the water as the warrior chased after me. My feet touched the water, and I felt like I could take on the world.

The warrior came into the water, and got into a wrestling stance. I couldn't get the upper hand on him physically, so I would have to use smarts. He attacked and I grappled with him, neither of us getting the upper hand. I could notice out my peripheral vision the army coming and watching the fight as opposed to helping me out.

He was good. Real good.

The warrior kneed me in the stomach and threw me over his shoulder deeper into the water. He turned into boxing mode and punched me relentlessly as if we were in a ring, throwing jabs and uppercuts at specific areas, but I caught him off guard by returning the attacks just as strong as before, if not stronger.

I punched him in his jaw, and even though my fist glanced off it, he still seemed startled. I kicked him to the ground and sent a jet of water to attack his face. He sputtered and flailed like a child as the jet of water assaulted his face and his chest. River Styx or not, no one likes a blast of water to their face.

He went on all fours and I pointed Riptide at him, speaking in that husky voice that was probably Greek to them. "Stand down. You're beaten."

He snarled at me. "Never!" He back-flipped, and kicked me with both feet so I fell to the water, then got out a sword from inside his cape and tried to slash my throat.

I rolled in the water while parrying his attack and slashed at his leg. Instinctively, he jumped up, but I still caught him in the ankle as he was going up.

He winced and cried out as he fell to the watered ground, holding his ankle and breathing heavily. I just thought that he bathed in the River Styx…how did that hurt him? I was trying to knock his legs from under him, but apparently I did more than that…like his Achilles' heel or something.

My mind went blank as I thought about what I just said.

The army stepped forward with their spears and bows, ready to kill me from long range until the leader held up his hand. All the weapons went down as the warrior got up, slowly. Angrily.

He roared and with one swift strike, knocked the blade out my hand. He came with a strong roundhouse, trying to take me out, but I leaned back, letting the fist whistle past my face. We both had the same idea; we attacked each other trying to knock each other to the ground.

The exact opposite happened.

We interlocked fingers as we pushed against each other, trying to get the upper hand. My muscles were on fire, every one of them, because it was like trying to stop a two-ton truck. The warrior's teeth were gritted and he had murderous lust in his eyes.

I closed my eyes and felt at the sea. It felt at my command, as usual, but something about this seemed…different. The ocean seemed younger, as if it belonged to a younger Poseidon in another time.

I summoned a water hand. It was much easier to control the water here than in the city…here, the water was pure, unpolluted, and beautiful. In the city, you'll be lucky if you find any blue water around there.

A water hand manifested, earning the _ooohhs _and _aaaahhhhhsss _from the onlookers. The hand picked both him and I up, and threw us deeper into the sea.

We hit the water hard, but neither of us were affected…he had the River Styx, and I was the son of Poseidon.

We went underwater…my territory now. I kicked him underwater, and choked him, bringing him down farther underwater. The main goal was to force him to put himself in suspended animation, then bring him to the shore again and somehow calm his soldiers down when they see their defeated leader.

The warrior grabbed at my hands that were around his throat, trying to get a precious breath of oxygen. He kicked me underwater, but he didn't have enough force to get me anywhere.

Then I noticed him panicking. He couldn't swim.

Sure enough, he was thrashing and flailing uncontrollably, afraid of drowning and dying. I grabbed his wrist and propelled ourselves as fast as I could to shore, throwing his body on the sand as he doubled over and threw up sea-water.

He got up, and I just looked at him. "You sure you want to do this again? Just stay-"

"-down!" I drew from the sea and kicked him in the chest, knocking him back a couple of feet to the ground. I can see why people around here like kicking people in the chest.

I tried for a strong punch to the face, but he caught my hand, completely nullifying my attack. I stood there as he just held my punch out in front of him. "You fight like a young boy, with nothing held back. That would be advisable against an inexperienced enemy. But I am experienced."

I tried for a sneak strike at his pressure point with the other hand also, but he caught that with his _other hand_. We were in a position where it was face to face, struggling once again to get the upper hand. He cocked back his head, and head butted me so hard that I swooned and my vision went black. I staggered back and he growled a little, and kicked me in the chest so hard that I went down, and couldn't get back up.

He reached under my body and picked me up like I was a rag doll, or a teddy bear that he was trying a new wrestling move on. He held me over his head, and spoke in the husky voice again, and I knew that he was speaking Greek. "You're an interesting adversary. But you need to know which battles to take part of, and which ones to avoid. You want to defend a lazy soldier? You didn't want to finish me off in the water? See where it got you now!"

I frantically grabbed at his head, trying to get down from this deadly hold that he had me in.

His muscles tensed, and I knew it was coming. "Feel…the wrath…of the mighty…ACHILLES!"

Achilles?

He brought my body down against his invulnerable knee, splitting my spine in half.

I couldn't hear. I couldn't see. I couldn't hear myself cry out in extreme pain. I didn't see what he did after he just brutally finished me off.

I hit the ground as he let me bounce off his knee and fall face down into the sea-washed sand. I was in pain…my back was split in half. My eyes finally fluttered open and I saw Achilles standing there, looking down at me.

I flashed back to what I was thinking when I first saw him…'_I stunk at Greek names, but even I knew the greatest warrior of all time, who had died from a wounded heel.' _

I had seen him as a ghost, who warned me not to bathe in the River Styx…this was the same guy who had gotten offended when I had suggested that he wear anything else but sandals…he could wear high-top Jordans and be much safer as opposed to wearing opened toed sandals all the time.

Sure enough, his sandals were like 10 feet away and he was standing barefoot over me.

"It's….you….again….Achilles…."

Achilles bent down, with a concerned look on his face, as if he actually cared about what happened to me even after he just split my spine in two. "What are you talking about, soldier?"

"No…offense….but couldn't…you…just wear….something else…but sandals…all…the…time…?"

I was having trouble between each word because my breathing had become ragged and I had trouble maintaining a steady heartbeat.

I finally put it together. Chronos had sent me to this time for some reason as a Greek soldier. Give me twenty minutes, and what do I do?

I get my ass kicked by Achilles himself.

Achilles scowled as he slapped me and I blacked out.


	4. Chapter 4

"AGGHHHH-OWWWWW!"

I woke up to a rope around me that was tied so tightly that it was hugging my back. The rope went up, and the excruciating pain erupted in my back again, prompting another scream of pain…it felt like my back was trying to mend itself by stapling itself together.

Rain was falling continuously and battering my face, helping ease the pain a little bit.

I finally opened my eyes as I gasped for oxygen. Apparently, I was hanging from a tree. An old man with light armor was holding my rope and was breaking off a stick. I just looked at him as I was still catching my breath. "What…is this? Some sort of torture method?"

The man looked at me with evident confusion in his eyes. I blinked as I tried to bring myself to reality. I changed to the deep, husky voice that everyone was talking in. "What is this, some kind of torture?"

The man smiled dryly, as if he got that question a lot. "No, soldier, this is healing your back. Stay there until you make a degree angle with the ground."

"What degree? 90? 80? 100? What?"

He looked at me as if I was speaking English. "Just a degree angle. You know of other degrees?"

I mentally kicked myself for being so ignorant. I was in the past, thrown here by Chronos…they had their own method of math and astronomy and healing methods. Like this one that I was in now, which did nothing but make me scream in pain.

"Nothing. I'll wait until I make a degree angle to the ground."

The old man nodded and limped off…I wondered if he was an army veteran who didn't want to go back home because he wanted to serve his nation the day he died.

I thought about what just happened overall. I just met Achilles. Granted, we didn't get off on the right foot…more like the right fist.

"You were impressive, soldier."

I struggled to turn around, but I struggled to, so I tried to sway my rope so I swung slowly towards the sound of the voice.

Achilles was standing there, with a cast on his knee and a spear in his hand. "I do not know how you did the water tricks, and I have concluded that you are a demigod, the son of one of the gods. Poseidon, most likely?"

I stared at him. "Phoenix, son of Poseidon." I said the first name that popped into my mind besides my own because I didn't know if the real Perseus (son of Zeus) was alive at the time, so I just picked a name.

Achilles grinned and held out his hand. "Achilles, son of Peleus and Thetis. Your father and Zeus tried to court my mother, you know."

I shuddered even though I was hanging from a string. "Don't remind me. I have enough family problems already."

He laughed, a deep, resonating one that happened to be the kind that makes others laugh with him. "Of course. Immortal relatives aren't the best people to rely on. But even without your abilities, you are a formidable foe."

"Um, thanks? Where are we?"

Achilles looked out towards the beach. It caught me off guard how much he looked like Ares…the same dark, brooding, battle-worn expression, the same buff complexion, and the dark hair…except Achilles had pale green eyes as opposed to fire holes. "We are in Greece, preparing to sail for Troy. The Trojans are ignorant enough to believe that they can handle us without their full army. Blasphemy."

"Hold up…this is the Trojan War?"

"This…is a war of the Acheans against the Trojans. All because of that one woman, Helen."

"How good did she look? Because I've heard that she had a 'face that sent a thousand ships.'"

"She was not all that every one says she is. She is a normal, pretty maiden…"

"Who must've been good in bed if everyone wants to go to war against her."

Achilles smiled at me. "Greece is not a foolish country, Phoenix. If we go to war, it's going to be over something more than a mere maiden. Which brings me to my main point of why I am here. I want you to lead a fleet of Myrmidons."

I blinked again, to see if this was a dream or a vision. The Myrmidons are the legendary group of soldiers that Achilles himself led in the Trojan War. They were named after a son of Zeus that happened to be a good and wise king. He wanted me to lead them?

"Are you serious? How many do I have to lead?"

Achilles' eyes shone. "You will lead 500 Myrmidons into Troy. I like your battle prowess and your cunning. They are admirable qualities that will make you a good and wise leader to your subjects."

I almost blacked out again. The dude who splits my spine in half decides he wants me to lead one of his elite army into Troy. Wonderful.

"You…split my…spine…I don't think that I can be able to lead in this condition…" I winced as the pain started spiking again.

Achilles smiled and walked behind me. "No matter. Take a deep breath."

I obliged, and Achilles punched me as hard as I could in the back, earning a very manly scream on my part. The pain spiked up and erupted like never before, as I went back to hyperventilating for a couple minutes.

"Put your feet on the ground."

I struggled to gain oxygen as I lowered my legs. They touched the ground and I looked down, seeing a 90 degree angle from me to the ground.

Achilles gently took the rope off my body and I tried to stand on my own, but immediately tipped over and fell towards the ground. Achilles rushed to catch me, but I held out my hand for him to stay where he was. I put one hand on the tree that I was hanging from and just breathed. I was going to make it.

I leaned against the tree for about ten seconds until I finally got up and stood upright, breathing more normally and with my mind much more alert. I was ready.

I stood up and limped for my first two steps until I was walking normally. Achilles jogged past me and clapped my back. "Come on, Phoenix. It's time to show you your army!"

I winced when he hit me on the back, but I went from walking to jogging, and when Achilles started to sprint, I sprinted with him. The two of us were racing and laughing as we sprinted in the mud and leapt over branches, my back fully healed now.

We stopped running when we arrived at the beach.

Achilles had to pick my jaw up off the ground.

The entire beach looked brown…soldiers covered the beach with their brown armor, and they were standing in formation. They had about 5 groups of them, and those groups were facing five ships that were anchored down to the ground for now. One person stood in front of each of the five groups…no, there was one missing. One person was standing in front of each group, except for the last one. All the groups were positioned with their feet together, body upright, and head down as if waiting for instructions. The leaders were in the same position, just about 10 feet in front of everybody else so they were distinguished.

This sight, along with it being in the rain, with dark clouds over us, added an ominous and invincible feeling to this group of warriors. If I were the Trojans, I would find somewhere to run and hide.

I looked at Achilles who was smiling at me. "There is your fleet, Phoenix. Go, claim your soldiers."

I didn't know whether to bow or to curtsy or to salute, so I just jogged down in my armor and with Riptide on my waist-strap again, I stood in front of my group of 500 elite soldiers, and I had my head down, feet together, awaiting orders.

I felt Achilles walk by and stand in the middle with his spear in hand. He put his spear in the ground and stood with his head up and talking to the groups.

"Soldiers! You have trained all your life for this. This is where it comes down to. The Trojans are merciless, cold-blooded, heartless killers. They will NOT hesitate to kill you. You need to be ferocious, like a tiger, strong, like a Cyclops, and immovable, like a ship. You are Greece. You are the best, the elite, and the strongest. You've passed every test-"

He looked around at everybody to see if they reacted in any way. "-and you are worthy. It will be an honor if I actually die by your side. Training is over. We are the Myrmidons. And we are fighting for our country. Cowardice will get you nowhere here. NOWHERE. TONIGHT, WE WILL SUFFER NO CASUALITIES! THE GODS WILL BE NEXT TO US, AND THERE WILL BE NO COMPETITION! TODAY! TONIGHT! TOMORROW! TO THE END! TO THE DEATH! WE FIGHT!"

"WE FIGHT!"

"WE FIGHT!"

"WE FIGHT!"

The army said 'We fight!' in accordance to Achilles' words. They said it right after he would say it, and it sounded like a pep talk before a football game.

Thunder and Lightning flashed, a good emphasis to our words. Achilles stood in the wet, swirling sand, looking like a god when the lightning flashed behind him. He raised his head to the sky and yelled, "FREEDOM OR DEATH! WHO ARE WE?!" I smiled under my helmet, because Annabeth told me before that 'Freedom or Death' was Greece's official motto today.

All the soldiers put their fist to their breast, and I followed the leader next to me, what he was doing. "WE ARE GREECE. WE ARE THE MYRMIDONS!"

He turned to us and smiled, speaking much softer but not losing any emphasis on his words. "And have we ever lost a battle?"

"NEVER! WE ARE UNDEFEATED. WE HONOR THE GODS IN EVERYTHING WE DO."

Achilles turned towards the ocean. "LEADERS! ON THE SHIPS! SOLDIERS! FOLLOW YOUR LEADERS!"

I wasn't really enthusiastic to play an ancient Greek version of follow the leader, but I walked onto the ship, and my 500 people formed a line as they were marching; very organized and very impressive. I walked on the ship, and there was one section that was at the front that overlooked the sea. That would usually be where the captain stays.

"That is where the captain, or the leader stays."

I turned and Achilles was right behind me, with his hand on my shoulder. He beckoned me towards the spot and I stood there, leaning on the pole like a boss and overlooking the water. I closed my eyes and breathed in the sea water as the rain buffeted my face and created several ripples in the ocean…what a perfect time of war.

Would I kill? If I actually think about it, anybody that I kill now would have died anyway…there's no way I could've changed the past. I _am _Phoenix. When they write the scrolls or the history articles, they will note the five leaders and Phoenix will probably be among them.

But does that make it right? I looked at the ship and saw that it had about 50 stations for oar-rowing on each side of the ship, and they were already manned, looking at me and waiting for my instruction. The rest of the soldiers were sitting in the middle, with their weapons and eyes closed, probably praying to the gods and getting ready to sub in for their comrades for rowing.

I looked out towards the ocean and felt something. I turned to Achilles. "Ships. About 100 of them. Greek sails."

Achilles looked at me, then out towards the water. "Odysseus and his crew. They will fight with us shortly."

Wow. Odysseus. Athena's favorite demigod. Calypso's famous love. If I actually met him, and then met Heracles, my life would be complete.

I turned towards my group. Achilles had sat down on a special chair and was knocked out, with ridiculous snores.

"MYRMIDONS! START ROWING! LET'S GO!" My voice had gained an ancient Greek accent just being with these people.

They took out the anchors, and the ship sailed off to the sea, with the soldiers rowing furiously as we set off for Troy.

Trojans, here we come.


End file.
